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A North Dakota state representative and the pilot of a small plane were killed after they crashed shortly after takeoff Saturday near Crystal Airport in a Minneapolis suburb.
Rep. Liz Conmy, D-Fargo, was identified as one of the two people killed when the Beech F33A went down in Brooklyn Park, Minn., and caught fire.
“Liz served her state and community with care and compassion, from her service in the Legislature and on the state’s Human Trafficking Commission to her work on education, habitat and immigration,” North Dakota GOP Gov. Kelly Armstrong wrote in a statement. “Kjersti and I are saddened by this tragic loss and offer our deepest condolences to her family, friends and fellow legislators. We ask North Dakotans to join us in keeping them in our prayers.”
Armstrong directed all U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at half-staff from dawn to dusk on the day of Conmy’s interment, encouraging North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses.
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“I am heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rep. Conmy, a dear friend and former colleague with whom I had the privilege of serving in the state House,” Lt. GOP Gov. Michelle Strinden wrote in a statement. “Liz brought integrity, compassion and unwavering dedication to her work on the Education and Judiciary committees, and I was proud to partner with her on efforts to strengthen our schools. My thoughts are with her family and all who knew and loved her.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said two people were aboard, but the pilot was not immediately publicly identified.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate, Fox 9 reported.
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“We are completely heartbroken and gutted by the loss of Representative Liz Conmy,” the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party wrote Saturday on X.
“Her death is a profound loss for our state. As a lawmaker, she championed public education, the environment, and transparency.”
Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Matt Rabe said officers were called at 11:51 a.m. to a report of a small plane crash in a park area. Emergency crews found the aircraft engulfed in flames after it crashed shortly after departing from Crystal Airport, north of Minneapolis. The Brooklyn Park Fire Department arrived within minutes and extinguished the fire, but there were no survivors.
Neighbors near the crash site described hearing a loud explosion and seeing flames shoot up from the wreckage.
“I was in the house, in my bedroom, and my daughter was eating cereal at the kitchen table, and there was a really loud boom,” Ashley Capp, who lives across the street, told FOX 9.
Another neighbor, Kim Clark, said the scene unfolded quickly.
“We look across the street, and it was a huge flame, huge fire,” Clark told the station. “Everybody started calling 911.”
State Sen. Tim Mathern, who described Conmy as a friend and former running mate, said she brought “a zest for life and a strong work ethic” and would be missed by Democrats and Republicans alike.
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The crash was the second deadly plane crash in Brooklyn Park in more than a year, according to FOX 9.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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